Water and My World

Water is essential for survival on Earth. It makes up almost two-thirds of our body weight and covers a little over two-thirds of the Earth’s surface. Since almost all of the water is in salty oceans, we can’t use it for drinking. In fact, only about 3% of the Earth’s water is fresh, and most of that fresh water is frozen. That means only about 1% of the water on Earth is available for people to use.

The chemical formula “H₂0” shows the basic units of a water molecule: two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. We describe water as a colorless liquid that you can’t smell or taste. Water also comes in the form of ice in the polar ice caps and water vapor (gas) that rises into the air from the surface of our planet.

Explore the links below to learn fun facts about water, how important it is to life on Earth, and what you can do to protect this natural resource.

Some content courtesy of the National Library of Medicine.